Sheet-metal building construction



1930- I J. F LoucKs 7 1,784,368

SHEET METAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 1'7, 1927 Patented Dec. 9,

umrao sures-PATENT o F ce Jams-.31. Loncxs, or GLEV'EIMD, omo,

assrenoa 'ro nn'raorr s'rnnr. raonuc'rs OOHPANY, OF DETBDI'I', MICHIGAN,A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN Jmru. annmnre oons'rnucrroit 2 Application.filed number 17, 1927. Serial Io. 888,858.

tion of the type referred to which will enable the shingling, orassembling by overlapping, of an n per sheet with a lower sheet to be.accomplis ed in a eedy and convenient manner. Further an more limitedobjects of the invention will appear hereinafter and will be realized inand through the contruction and arrangement of parts shown in thedrawing, wherein Fig. 1 represents a bottom plan view of the overlappingends of a pair of sheet metal units constructed in'accord-. ance with myinvention, certain parts being shown in section; Figs. 2 and 3 aredetails in perspective of the opposite ends of a sheet, showing themanner in which the ribs are p formed for the purpose of shingling oroverlapping; and Fig. 4 a sectional view corresponding to the line H ofFig. 1.

Describing the parts by reference characters, A, A represent generallyapair ofsheetmetal units, each consisting of a flat mesheet 1 which hashollow triangular ribs" pressed therefrom, the preferablyextending fromoneside onlyof the sheet. Each such rib consists ofa; base 2 andconvergent sides 3 which merge at their ends wit the. sheet 1, therebeing a narrow slot 4 provided at one endof the sheet. The ribs extendcontinuously across the sheet, in the form shown in Fig. 2, until ashort distance before the opposite end of the sheet is reached. Each ribis then narrowed, as shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4 and at theright of Fig. 1, the amount of the narrowing being suflicient to' enablethe narrowed end of the rib to be received within the end of a rib, ofthe-shape shown in Fig. 2, on another sheet. The sides of the narrowedend of the rib are designated at 3 and the bottom at 2; and the extremeends of the sides ,3 are tapered toward each other, as shown at 3", witha like' tapering of the outer end 2 of the bottom 2. reduction in thewidth of the ends of the ribs is attended with a corresponding reductionin the width of the slots between the upper ends of the ribs, thenarrowed portions p of the slots being indicated atA and 4". The

portions 3' of the sides are connected with the-mainportioi1s 3 bybeveled surfaces 5. With t e parts constructed and arranged asdescribed, two of the sheets A may be assembled quickly and convenientlyb inserting the reduced ends 2"-3 of the ribs at one end of a sheet intothe open ends 2, 3, of the ribs at the op site and of a like sheet. Theta ering of t e sides 3 and the narrowin o the bottom 2" of theinsertable ribs facilitates the assembling o ration; and them- This aclined surfaces 5 provi e a wedge stop which will limit the insertionvof the ribs of one sheet. within those of another and thereby define auniform amount of overlapping of 3 one sheet with another.

Afurther advantage of this invention is that it enables the sheets to beassembled u ckly at an place and without the necessity for having theirbodies in the same plane when' the assembling. operation is started. Thesheets thus assembled may be taken to thejob and there applied to thesupporting beams or purlins inthe usual manner. 1

Having thus described a, invention, what I claim is 1. A sheet metalfoundation for roofin construction, the same comprising a sheet havinghollow triangular ribs extending from one side thereof, there being anarrow slot provided between the ,sides of each rib and the body of thesheet, whereby the surface of the sheet opposite the said ribs is asubstantially continuous load-carrying surface, the end portions of theribs at one end of the sheet each having their sides and hottoms of lesswidth than the-body portions of F .such sides and bottom and the ends ofsuch the opposite end of the sheet, whereby the assembling of the saidsheet in overlapped relation with a like sheet is facilitated.

2. A sheet metal foundation for roofing construction, the samecomprising a metal sheet having hollow ribs extending from one sidethereof, there being a narrow slot provided between each of the ribs andthebody opposite the said ribs-is a substantially continuousload-carrying surface, the end portions of the ribs at one end of thesheet diminishing in cross-sectional area toward such end and beingprovided on each side thereof with a projection constituting a stop tolimit the insertion of such reduced ends of the ribs of said sheet intothe ribs on the opposite end of a like sheet.

3. A sheet metal foundation for roofing construction, the samecomprising a metal sheet having hollowtriangular ribs extending from oneside thereof, there being a narrow slot provided between the sides ofeach rib and the body of the sheet whereby the surface of the sheetopposite the said ribs is a be secured.

face, the end portions of the ribs at the oppo-.

site end of the sheet being narrowed and the the slots provided betweenthe sides of the ribs and the sheet at the opposite end of the sheet,whereby the assembling of the sheets 1n overlapped relation isfacilitated and a unlform'amount of overlap in the sheets may 4. A sheetmetal foundation for. roofing construction, the same comprisinga metalsheet having hollow triangular ribs extending from one side thereof,there being a narrow slot provided between'the s'des of each rib and thebody of the sheet wereby the surface of'the sheet 0 pposite the saidribs is a substantially continuous load-carryin surface, the endportions of the-ribs at the opposite end of the sheet each comprising anarrower portion the, sides whereof are connected to the sides of thebody of its rib by a signature.

inclined portions, and an extreme end portion having convergent sides,the sides and bottom of the body portion of each such-rib hem ofsubstantially uniform width to and inclu ing the opposite end of suchrib and the slots between such end portions of the ribs and the body ofthe sheet being narrower than the slots provided between the sides ofthe ribs and the sheet at the opposite end of the sheet,

whereby the assembling of the sheets in overlapped relation isfacilitated and a uniform amount of overlap in the sheet is secured.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my JAMES F. LoUoKs.

of the sheet whereby the surface of the sheet 7 v substantiallycontinuous load-carrying sursurfaces, the sides and bot-

